Guentzel.Org

I certainly don’t want to talk your ear off with all the things that happened in the past 24 hours, so I thought I’d write up a few lines so you can subject yourself to as much or as little as you would like.

Air Travel is so glamorous

The way things were planned to happen:

Thursday

• 4:00pm: Conference ends
• 4:30pm - 6:00pm: Visit Chicago and Indiana pawn shops for mega bargains on watches
• 7:30pm: Arrive at O’Hare for 9:20pm flight
• 9:20pm: Flight 2491 for Austin leaves on time (hehe)
• 11:59pm: Arrive in Austin

Friday

• 12:45am: Finally get home
• 9:00am: Hand out obligatory travel gifts to gleeful children

Now…the way things have gone so far:

Thursday

• 4:00pm: Conference ends
• 4:30pm: Set out to find obscure pawn shops in Chicago and Indiana
• 4:30pm - 5:30pm: Get lost in insane/chaotic traffic
• 5:30pm: Find one pawn shop in Indiana (no watches whatsoever)
• 5:45pm: Can’t find way back to main road
• 6:00pm: Stop at Walgreens for a map and a Coke Zero
• 6:20pm: Get notification from Flightstats.com

Subj: AA 2491
Msg: Status Check
canceled!
ORD-AUS

• 6:20pm - 6:27pm: Grit teeth
• 6:30pm: Get on the phone to AA (hold time estimated to be 15 minutes)
• 6:42pm: Cingular drops my call
• 6:53pm: Get back on phone (hold time estimated to be 12 minutes)
• 7:10pm: Fill up rental car
• 7:20pm: American says that there are no other flights out tonight. There’s a flight through Denver, but loses the seat while talking. Puts me on Saturday flight (2 nights in Chicago)
• 7:30pm: Remember Mark Twain quote: “When angry, count ten; when very angry, swear”
• 7:35pm: Susan and family back in Round Rock start to harness the powers of the internets to find another way out of Chicago. Greyhound???
• 8:15pm: Go to very nice American agent and ask if there are any discounts available for stranded passengers. “Distressed Passenger” discount available at the Westin.
• 9:00pm: Arrive at Westin
• 9:15pm: Mike harnesses the power of the internets to find another flight (American said they’ll pay)
• 9:20pm - 9:45pm: Talk with American and Continental about a transfer to a Friday 5:40am flight (ugh)
• 10:15pm: Travel plans done. Family notified. Hunger pangs set in.
• 10:30pm: Walk to nearby McDonalds
• 11:00pm: Return to hotel
• 11:15pm: Shower and prepare for early morning sprint to the airport
• 11:45pm: Call for 4am wake up call (ugh)
• 11:58pm: Lights out

Friday

• 3:30am: Wake up…can’t go back to sleep for fear of missing shuttle and flight
• 4:00am: Check out of Westin
• 4:05am: Take shuttle to O’Hare
• 4:10am: Long line at Continental ticket desk
• 4:30am: Try to check in, Continental attendent (Mr. Grouchy Pants) says transfer did not work despite prior assurances and emails from American and Continental
• 4:35am: Walk very fast to next terminal to straighten things out with American
• 5:00am: Check in with Continental
• 5:05am: Informed by TSA that I was “selected” by my airline for extensive searching (did Twain talk about being very, very angry?)
• 5:25am: Board plane; completely full flight
• 5:43am: O’Hare in my rearview mirror - plane leave ground successfully
• 8:00am: Land in Houston
• 8:15am: Call Susan (”Safe, Sound and on the Ground”)
• 8:30am: “Borrow” free wi-fi from President’s Club to check email
• 9:00am - 10:00am: Wander around Houston Intercontinental to see what’s changed since my heavy travel days
• 10:00am: Buy Watch Times magazine and drool over watches I couldn’t possibly afford
• 10:45am: Check flight status - Everything OK so far
• 11:00am: Decide to beat the rush and go to Papadeux’s in the airport
• 11:10am: Papadeux’s is packed…there will be a rush all day
• 11:15am: Dine on yummy yummy crawfish platter
• 11:40am: Read, type, wait for Austin flight to board…”borrowing” WiFi from Continental Crew Lounge.

How will the story end? I’ll let you know.
UPDATE:  Well, my flight to Austin was delayed an hour and a half, but I still got home.  The kids were gleeful over their Chicago T-Shirts and I was able to get to sleep.